From Mundane to Marvelous: How Transformational Leadership Boosts Front Office Employees' Creativity

The primary objective of this study is to explore the impact of transformational leadership on the creativity of front-office employees. The central premise is that transformational leaders can inspire positive transformations in their followers, enhancing task performance and supportive behaviors. Using a quantitative research approach, data was collected through surveys from employees working in the front office in hotels with four and five-star ratings in Cairo.Using a stratified random sampling method, a sample of 18 hotels was chosen, encompassing 300 employees. This sample represented approximately 33.3% of the total population of 54 hotels, with a robust response rate of 60.3%, comprising 181 employees. The study employed structural equation modeling, specifically Smart PLS 4, to evaluate the proposed model. It sought to assess the impact of transformational leadership on employees' satisfaction while also exploring its direct influence on employees' creativity. The research results indicate that transformational leadership has the potential to enhance the creativity of front-office employees. This improvement occurs through the mediating role of job satisfaction, leading to increased productivity and innovation among employees. Moreover, the study offers practical implications for the hotel industry. It underscores the importance of cultivating an innovation-friendly environment to stimulate employee creativity and enhance organizational performance. To support this endeavor, hotels are strongly encouraged to consider investing in transformational leadership training programs for their supervisors and team leaders. Additionally, the study recommends using rigorous hiring criteria to identify high-caliber candidates who are more likely to exhibit creativity in their roles.
While this research provides valuable insights, it has limitations, which could serve as potential avenues for future investigation.